Devil Inside
by Kaycee Ronin
Summary: The turtles and Splinter aren't the only creatures inhabiting New York City's sewer system. Apparently at least one angry spirit calls it home as well...and doesn't want to share. A slightly spooky maybe Halloween type TMNT Tale. Prologue is up.


Devil Inside

Prologue

The Cry to Awaken

By Kaycee Ronin

Originally written 10/04

Rewrite 9/05-10/05

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_So about a year ago I came up with the idea for this fic, really excited that I'd get it done super quick. Obviously this has not been the case, so I'm giving it another whack. I've redone the premise completely. Recently I've seen and read the conclusion of Chrno Crusade, and now that I know the whole series, this should be an easier work. For those of you who know Chrno Crusade, most of the basis is the anime, because it's easier to follow. The prologue is now just turtles, so the Magdalene Order and its members will be introduced early in Chapter One._

_Disclaimer: Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello, Michelangelo, Splinter, April O'Neil, Casey Jones, and other TMNT characters are the property of Eastman and Laird and Mirage Studios. Ewan Remington, Azmaria Hendrix, and other Chrno Crusade characters mentioned belong to Daisuke Moriyama. Cecilia Hendrix, Anastasia Hamilton, and Molly are my original characters._

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There are creatures…creatures not of this world that find their soul purpose in causing harm to those living on our plane. In Japanese mythology, these malicious creatures are called 'Akuma'. Devils. The personification of evil and darkness. These monsters however, do not exist only in stories. They are very real, feeding from the negative emotions of mortals even now. They may even be closer than you may think.

--Splinter

The Cry to Awaken 

The place gave off an eerie feeling as a warning to any soul foolish enough to wander into the area. And if the bad vibes didn't work to scare people off, the appearance of it certainly did. Cobwebs covered many of the walls from floor to ceiling, and across at some places. A few heavy rocks had slid out of place and crumbled, littering the ground with dust and pebbles. To one side there was a sealed door, covered with boards, metal, and chains. The other walls were thick, solid and dark gray.

Donatello had said the place was probably built in the early nineteen hundreds, and meant to be a subway station, but for some reason, the people had stopped building, and closed it off. Information he'd found in a book about subways. A few faded signs that read NO TRESSPASSING remained visible on the tightly secured door.

But despite the written warnings, and the orders of his Sensei to avoid this area, Raphael's curiosity demanded he discover what was on the other side.

"Um...Raphy...a--are you sure this's a good idea?" A frightened voice spoke up as a pair of young mutant turtles peered around a corner.

"What's bad about it?" The bigger of the two, clad in a red bandana grinned. "It's explorin'! I thought you liked explorin' Mikey?"

The orange-clad, smaller turtle frowned, shaking his head. "I...I do...but Donnie says those signs said 'no...trees passing'...I d'no what that means, but I'm not s'sure I wanna know what's back there." He reached out, his small hand slipping around his brother's wrist. "N'besides, Sensei said we should stay away from here..."

The seven-year-old Raphael rolled his eyes. "Aw, c'mon bro. Mastah Splinter's nevah gonna know we was here." In one quick movement, he'd turned his wrist, forcing his little brother to let go of him. He easily caught Michelangelo's hand and pulled him closer to their target. "This'll be fun, Mikey."

"No...I don't think it will be," The smaller mutant protested, planting his weight firmly to stop Raphael from pulling him forward. "Can we just go home, _please_?"

"Sure." The red clad turtle grinned.

"Really?" Michelangelo's expression brightened.

Raphael laughed. "Yeah, just's soon as we see what's on the other side'a that door."

Again the younger turtle's face fell as he stared up at the doorway, eyes wide.

It wouldn't be too hard to get through the sealed doorway. A few well-placed kicks would cause the old wood to break just enough for two small turtles to fit through and explore the other side. Besides, the door, and its barriers were nearly one hundred years old. How strong could it be? Raphael positioned himself, crouched and preparing to deliver a harsh kick to the bottom section of a plank of wood. The youngster grinned, foot flying at its target.

"HII--"

_Stay away_

"Raph, wait!" Michelangelo's arms suddenly locked around Raphael's, and pulled the turtle back a few feet. The orange clad youth was trembling, clinging to his older brother like a vice.

"What's _with _you today, Mikey? You a turtle or a chicken!" Raphael glowered.

Michelangelo stared past his brother, pointing toward the door "I...I heard something. A voice said to stay away!"

"You didn't hear nothin'!" Raphael retorted. "There ain't nobody here but the two'a us!"

To this Michelangelo shook his head profusely. "No, there was _something_ on the other side of the door! I heard it!"

"You're lettin' your imagination run wild," Raphael replied in an annoyed tone. "_Nobody _else is here!" Without another word, he shrugged away from his brother, and again crouched in front of the door, ready to break it down.

"Raphie, don't!" Michelangelo shouted this time.

Raphael didn't even turn to look at the other turtle. "Quit bein' such a baby Mikey. I'll show ya in one second. There ain't nothin' here for you t'be afraid a--"

"Stay away from there!"

The sudden presence of a new voice startled Raphael, causing the red-clad turtle to spin around so quickly that he lost his balance and tumbled shell first into a pile of broken rocks. As he coughed, and tried to clear the dust from his eyes, a strong hand latched on to his arm. "Yaaah!" The ninja in training struggled desperately, screaming and shouting threats no seven year old should have known. "It's a _ghost_! Mikey, Run!"

He didn't here his brother respond, but the thing that had grabbed him now pulled Raphael to his feet. Kicking and screaming, the young turtle tried to attack the creature assaulting him, eyes squeezed shut in sheer panic.

"Leggo! Leggo! Lemme GO!"

"Raph! Hey, Raph, it's okay!"

"Mikey?" The 'ghost' abruptly put Raphael down, and the turtle opened his eyes to see his brother staring at him. "Mikey, I told you to run!"

The orange clad turtle couldn't help but smile. "We don't have to Raph."

"Wha...but..." Raphael trailed off at the sound of a gruff 'ahem,' eyes drifting toward the door, and the furry figure that stood before it.

"I have told you all many times to stay away from here. Especially you, Raphael."

"S-Sensei?" Raphael stammered, dusting himself off. His eyes were focused right on the old rat before him. He did not seem too pleased.

Splinter sighed, reaching forward to brush away a few more specks of dust from Raphael's bandana. "Raphael, you disobeyed me. I have instructed you and your brothers to stay away from this place. It is not safe."

Raphael's shoulders drooped slightly as his gaze drifted to the ground sheepishly. "I jus' wanted t'see what was in there, Mastah Splinter." The red-clad turtle spoke quietly.

"Despite my telling you to stay away from here," Splinter scolded. He reached out to take his son's hand, his tone remaining quiet and calm. "Do not come here again." The rat looked between the two boys, taking Michelangelo's hand as well. "Do you two understand? I forbid it."

Michelangelo looked up, blue eyes wide. "Why, exactly?"

Splinter frowned, "Because I said so." He spoke, finalizing the protests.

"Right, Sensei," Michelangelo murmured, his eyes welling up a little. The youngest turtle hated being in trouble with their father.

"Kay, Mastah Splinter," Raphael said as well, already looking back at the door as they were lead away.

-------

Raphael sat on his bed with a sour expression on his face. His arms were folded over his knees, which were tucked up tight against his chest, chin resting on his arms. He glared aimlessly at the other side of the room.

Grounded.

Just for trying to explore a little, he'd gotten into this much trouble. Raphael guessed however, that he'd been scolded mostly for scaring Michelangelo. Not that it was his fault, though. Mikey was part chicken. He was sure of it. The younger turtle had managed to whine his way out of the brunt of trouble.

He hadn't been sitting in there alone too long before the door slid open, and with a chorus of snickers, three figures peeked inside.

Raphael snarled. "Whatta you guys want?"

"You had Master Splinter really worried." A voice spoke up sharply. Leonardo. "Where'd you guys go before?" The blue bandana-wearing turtle seemed more annoyed than interested in his younger brothers' adventure, but Donatello, standing behind him in purple, looked curious.

For a few moments Raphael gave no answer. Simply frowning, he glanced at each of his brothers before his gaze settled on Michelangelo. His thoughts turning to revenge, the red-clad turtle grinned. "Me n' Mikey were ghost huntin'."

"What...?" Donatello raised a brow skeptically.

Michelangelo's eyes flew wide before his brother could continue. "Y-you never said we were going out there to look for ghosts! You said there weren't any!"

"Sure there are," Raphael laughed. He didn't really think there were ghosts either, but anything to scare Michelangelo was worth faking it. He hopped down from his bunk and made his way to his brothers. "Why d'ya think Sensei doesn't want us goin' out there? S'cause a'the ghosts. He doesn't want 'em to get us." He loomed dramatically over Michelangelo as the younger turtle eeped, and hid behind Donatello.

Donatello sighed. "Raph, there's no such thing as ghosts. It's a scientific fact…they can't be real."

"Why ya think that?" The troublemaker grinned widely. "Just cause ya ain't never seen one Donnie? Of course there are ghosts. They're behind that old door."

"Stop it," Leonardo spoke in an orderly tone as he heard Michelangelo gulp. "You're scaring Mikey."

"Feh," Raphael stuck his tongue out at the others. "You're all scaredy-cats anyways."

"Raphael!"

Frowning, Raphael's eyes raised to Splinter, who had appeared behind the other turtles. "Um...hiya Mastah Splinter..."

The rat glared at the child a moment before speaking. "Two weeks. You are now not to leave the lair for two weeks, Raphael."

"Aw..._man_! But Sensei, I--"

A clawed hand rose quickly to silence the young turtle. "Would you rather I made it three?"

Raphael sighed in defeat. "No, Mastah Splinter."

Splinter nodded once, turning his attention to the other three turtles. "It is time for bed, my sons," He motioned toward the set of bunks, much to the dismay of the youngsters. But as usual, there were no arguments. As soon as the gray rat had spoken, the four turtles were on the way to the bunks. He smiled faintly, as even Raphael obeyed, burrowing underneath his blankets as he often did when he was upset.

He called a goodnight to each of his children before sliding the door shut, leaving his sons to sleep.

Sleep, however, wasn't on the minds of the youngsters. No sooner had the door closed than Michelangelo leaned over the edge of his top bunk with a grin. "You were scared too back there, Raph. You totally freaked out when Master Splinter grabbed you."

"Shut up," Raphael glowered up from his bed, hissing in Michelangelo's direction. "I was just off guard. I'm not afraid of _anything_! Got it!"

"Will you two _please _keep it down?" Donatello groaned tiredly from his bed in between Michelangelo's and Raphael's. "Some of us are trying to sleep here."

"Sure, Donnie," Michelangelo piped cheerfully. "Just as soon as Raph admits he was just as scared as me."

"I was _not _scared!" Raphael insisted, clenching his fists as he sat up straight. "Mastah Splinter jus' startled me, s'all. And I definitely wasn't scared'a no ghost."

Michelangelo giggled, sticking out his tongue. "Suuure, Raphy."

"I wasn't scared!" The red-clad turtle barely managed to keep his tone under a shout, but he glowered in his youngest brother's direction. "N' I'll prove it."

Raphael tossed his blankets back, and climbed out of bed. Leonardo caught on right away. "Oh, no. Raph, you'd better not be thinking about doing what I think you're gonna do." He was out of bed and standing in Raphael's path in a split second.

"Just gonna prove t'Mikey that I ain't scared'a ghosts," Raphael explained. "It'll jus' take me a sec. I'll go out there, n'come right back."

"Don't even _think_ about it," Leonardo scowled and folded his arms seriously in front of his brother. "Sensei doesn't like us going out at night. He told us to stay away from that place, _and _you're grounded. You're not going anywhere."

Raphael tilted his head with a devilish grin. "What? You scared too, Leo?"

The blue clad turtle raised his head with a snarl. "You know I'm not! But that doesn't change that you're not allowed to go out so late to such a place...especially a place Master Splinter says we can't go!"

"Wah, wah, suck up." Raphael folded his arms, gaze drifting to his other brothers. "How 'bout you two? Wanna go out for a late night stroll?"

"Don't even start this," Leonardo warned, clenching his fists. Raphael tended to have a knack at times for getting Donatello and Michelangelo on his side and giving their oldest brother a hard time.

"Not interested," Donatello replied. "I'm tired."

"I'm not going anywhere," Michelangelo chimed in. "It's dark! An' that place is creepy!"

Raphael snorted, glaring at his trio of brothers. "Sheez! Whatta bunch'a babies you guys are! Scared to go out just 'cause it's dark?"

Michelangelo ducked his head, insulted. "I'm not afraid! I'm as brave as you are!" The youngest brother ducked under his blankets for a few moments, and appeared again a moment later with a flashlight. He then hopped down from his bunk, placing his hands on his hips and directing a triumphant smile at Raphael. A flashlight certainly helped the situation.

"What? You actually gonna come wit' me?" Raphael challenged.

"Yup," Michelangelo nodded sternly.

"You were the one freakin' out before, Mikey!"

"That was before..." Michelangelo managed. His heart had leapt into his throat, but he wasn't going to let Raphael get away with teasing him like this. "I'll prove it to ya. I'm not scared anymore, so I'll go. But on one condition..." The orange-clad turtle raised his hand, grabbing Donatello by the arm. "I'm bringin' Donnie."

The brainy turtle's eyes widened as he sat up a little. "What? But I don't wanna go--"

"Scared?" Raphael and Michelangelo spoke simultaneously.

Donatello's brow furrowed as he climbed down from his bed, annoyed that the other two had ganged up on him. "No, I'm not scared. I'll go..." He sighed in resolution. He paused a moment and smiled slowly. "If Leo goes too."

Leonardo shook his head. "I'm not going anywhere...and it's _not _because I'm afraid!" He spoke before his brothers could tease. "Master Splinter told us not to go out there."

"No big deal," Raphael waved a hand nonchalantly. "We'll just look real quick, then come back. Sensei'll never know we was gone."

"No." Leonardo stepped in front of the other three, his tone flat and entirely serious. "Get back in bed, or I'll let Master Splinter know what you're planning."

Raphael sneered at that. "Party pooper. You're such'a tattle tale, Leo." He glared in his elder brother's direction a few seconds, then climbed back into his bed. A few moments later, Donatello and Michelangelo did the same.

Leonardo smiled proudly to himself as he crawled back into bed. That wasn't hard. Raphael was angry with the punishment he'd been given. He wasn't that willing to test their father's anger. So he'd settled down much easier than he normally did. The oldest turtle settled under his covers and finally began to drift off to sleep.

-------

"Psst! Mikey!"

Michelangelo burrowed underneath his pillow at the sudden hiss in his ear. "Go 'way," He mumbled tiredly.

"C'mon, get up lazy," Raphael's voice was lowered to a whisper. "Leo's asleep. We're goin' out."

"Huh...?" The youngest turtle opened his eyes, groggily focusing on Raphael. "Out...now? But it's late..."

Raphael smiled in the darkness, leaning over his brother's curled up form. "I know. Leo's asleep. Sensei's asleep. We can go n' be back before anybody notices we were gone."

Michelangelo yawned. "Let's go in the morning...'M tired..."

"The point's ta go when I…we're not gonna get caught," Raphael urged, giving his little brother's bandana a quick tug. "Get yer lazy shell outta bed."

"Keep it down, you guys," Donatello mumbled to his arguing brothers. "I'm still trying to sleep."

Michelangelo peered over the edge of his mattress. "Raph wants to go back out." He whispered. "Y'gonna come?"

"Hmph," The purple-clad turtle mumbled. "Not likely."

Frowning, Michelangelo looked back at Raphael. "If Donnie's not gonna go, then I'm not gonna go either."

Raphael scowled his disappointment. "Baby," He hissed.

"I'm not!" Michelangelo pouted. "I just don't wanna go out there by myself!"

"I'm going, shellferbrains."

"You don't count."

Raphael blinked in surprise. "Whattya mean I don't..." He trailed off with a heavy sigh. It was pointless to try to persuade Michelangelo when he was in such a mood. "Fine, fine." The red clad turtle climbed partway down the ladder and perched on Donatello's bed. "Don..."

"No."

"Aw, c'mon Donnie," Raphael urged. "Real quick. "We'll come right back."

Donatello scowled and buried his face in his pillow. "No."

"Donnie...please?" Michelangelo pleaded childishly.

"Leave me alone," The brainy mutant grumbled.

Raphael leaned forward a little, resting his weight on his hands. "C'mon Donnie, prove to us there ain't no ghost out there."

"Silly," Donatello yawned. "I don't need to leave the lair to prove to you two that there aren't any ghosts. It's scientifically impossible."

Michelangelo's face broke into a wicked grin as an idea struck. "I dare ya to come and prove it to us, Donnie."

Without another protest, Donatello pushed himself into a sitting position, eyes narrowed. He could never turn down a dare from his brothers...not without being made fun of for weeks on end, anyway. Honestly, sometimes Mikey could be just as bad as Raph. "Fine," He spoke flatly. "But we go, and come right back, all right?"

"'Kay!" The other two chimed in unison.

Without another word, the three turtles scampered to the door, and soundlessly slipped into the main room.

It was completely dark in the main room of the lair, save for the dim circle of brightness coming from Michelangelo's flashlight. Raphael squinted, studying the room until his eyes had adjusted to the dark, and he was sure no one was there. "A'ight," He whispered to his brothers. "Let's go!"

The trio crept silently to the tunnel that lead out into the sewers. Raphael motioned for Michelangelo to go first, as he was the one with the flashlight. After a moment of protest, he went, and Donatello followed. Raphael prepared to go next.

"Where are you going...?" Raphael froze, hearing the stern voice behind him. The youth turned slowly, green eyes narrowed a little.

"Leo..."

"I told you to stay here. Master Splinter told you to stay here," Leonardo scolded with a frown. He stood with his arms folded, his expression far too stern for a child. "I figured you wouldn't listen..."

"You sound like a broken record, bro." Raphael rolled his eyes.

"I'll repeat myself until you listen!" The blue clad turtle's voice was dangerously close to a shout. He paused a moment, his expression entirely serious. "What would happen if Donnie or Mikey, or even _you_ got hurt wandering the sewers in the middle of the night?"

"You worry way too much," Raphael replied evenly. "Nothin' like that's gonna happen."

"Raphie, c'mon!" Michelangelo called from the sewer.

"Yeah," Donatello spoke up. "If you don't hurry up Mikey's gonna change his mind."

"Hey!"

Raphael's attention returned to Leonardo. "So what're ya gonna do, Leo? Y'gonna come with us, or are ya gonna rat on me, Don, and Mikey?"

Leonardo said nothing, and Raphael took a step further into the tunnel. The two exchanged glares for a few moments, then the red clad turtle disappeared into the sewer tunnels while Leonardo remained in the lair.

-------

"Are we going the right way?"

"I d'no...e-everything looks different when it's dark."

"You two wanna quiet down? We ain't lost!"

Michelangelo faltered, nearly dropping his flashlight. "Do you know where we are, Raph?"

"Sure I do!" The green-eyed turtle paused, squinting in the darkness as he searched for some familiar landmark. "Turn left here!"

"Here...?"

"You sure, Raph?" Donatello didn't sound very convinced.

Michelangelo blinked, slowly moving his flashlight about to look around. "Um...I'm not s'sure left is right..."

"Huh?" Raphael turned around, raising a brow at Michelangelo. "Whattya mean?"

"I think we went the wrong way..." Michelangelo shifted his feet uneasily. "There's a dead end to the left."

Silence fell, aside from Raphael's grumbling, as each of the boys rethought the path they had taken. And silence remained until Michelangelo felt a cold hand clamp onto his shoulder. "Aaaaaaahhh!" He jumped and dropped his flashlight as he cried out. It turned off as it hit the ground. "It's a ghost! A ghost! A--"

"Mikey, shh!" The form holding onto him hissed in annoyance.

"L—Leo?" The youngest turtle breathed a sigh of relief.

Raphael scowled, shoving his way in front of Michelangelo. "What're you doin' here, Leo? I thought you went to tell on us?"

Leonardo frowned momentarily, shaking his head. "Sensei...wasn't in his room." He didn't sound terribly worried, as though he had an idea where his Master had gone to. He leaned over and picked up the flashlight Michelangelo had dropped. Orange eyes briefly studied each of his brothers as he switched the light on. "You guys are going the wrong way...you know that, right?" He sighed. "That abandoned subway station's over that way."

"What? How do you...?" Donatello tilted his head toward Leonardo as he trailed off, curious.

"Come on..." Leonardo resolved. "The sooner you guys see the place, and see there are _no _ghosts, the sooner you can go back to bed, and save all of us from getting in trouble." The eldest brother took a small flashlight from his belt and turned it on. He passed it to Raphael.

Michelangelo and Donatello exchanged glances, then took off after Leonardo. And not wanting to be left behind, Raphael shouted after them and quickly followed.

"We're...not in trouble, are we?" Michelangelo frightfully asked Donatello.

The purple clad turtle shrugged, whispering his reply. "I don't think so...Otherwise, why would Leo be out here too?"

"I'm going to tell Master Splinter when he returns," Leonardo spoke flatly, obviously having heard his brothers. Donatello and Michelangelo both gulped in response, not looking in Leonardo's direction.

Just a few turns later Raphael realized where he had made his mistake in direction. Embarrassingly enough, he'd gone the wrong way almost right out of the lair. But with Leonardo at the front of the group now, the brothers moved silently along the corridor, coming to a stop at a corner convenient enough that they could just look past it to see their target.

The place wasn't pitch black as it should have been without a source of light. Instead the area near the sealed door was dimly lit from one small candle. The light was enough to give away the outline of a short figure. Leonardo, who had the best view, widened his eyes in surprise. He recognized the silhouette.

"Master Splinter...?" The blue clad turtle breathed, not daring to move.

"Huh?" Raphael pushed his way in between Michelangelo and Donatello. It hardly took him a moment to realize what his elder brother had. That was most definitely the figure of their master and father moving about in there. Shocked, his gaze fell back to Leonardo. "What's he doin'?"

As Leonardo opened his mouth to respond, he heard a familiar chanting...part of a Buddhist prayer. The old rat was standing before the sealed doorway, holding a piece of paper in one hand, while the other held still in front of his face. It seemed as though he hadn't noticed the turtles yet.

"Leo..." Michelangelo had crept silently to his eldest brother's side, watching their master intently. "What's goin' on?"

Leonardo wasn't entirely sure as he watched, but quietly he began to explain. "That paper he's holding is called an 'ofuda.' It's a kind of charm used to seal or destroy evil spirits...The chanting...I guess it goes along with the ritual..."

The turtles watched the ceremony silently, not one of them budging an inch until the candle beside Splinter changed from its normal gold to a pale blue. As the boys stared in surprise, Donatello moved forward a little. "I read somewhere that a candle's light will turn blue if there are spirits present."

Raphael turned to the purple-clad turtle. "I thought you didn't believe in ghosts 'er spirits, Don...?"

"I don't," Donatello whispered back simply. "But I never said I haven't read about them."

Frowning as the brainy turtle spoke, Michelangelo curled in on himself, moving closer to Leonardo as he shivered. "It's really cold all'a the sudden."

"I read that somewhere too..." Donatello said softly, his voice starting to lose its edge of confidence. "That the temperature of a room will drop with the presence of spirits."

"Donnie..." Raphael's voice was suddenly very serious. "Are you sayin' there might actually be..."

"Ghosts...?" Michelangelo choked as he lifted his head, blue eyes wide, and terrified.

"No..." Donatello shook his head quickly. His gold eyes were wide as though he'd realized the absurdity he was speaking. He shivered as well as he spoke again. "I told you guys, there can't be--"

A sudden bang stopped the young turtle's words and all four pairs of eyes fell on their father as a strong wind fought to push the rat away from the door.

Leonardo scrambled to his feet first, a hand flying to the wooden sword he wore, ready to attack what was unseen. "Master Splinter!" He called toward the rat as he dashed forward.

"Leonardo! Stay there!" The rat commanded with a firm shout. Leonardo froze in his tracks, just a few steps in front of the others. Splinter did not turn to look at him, as though he'd known his sons were present the whole time. He was leaning over slightly, fighting to remain where he stood. The wind was beginning to howl now, as it spun in a circular pattern. "Keep your brothers back as well!"

"But...Sensei!" Leonardo raised a hand to shield his eyes from the sudden swirl of dust accompanying the rising wind.

"Do as I said Leonardo. Now!"

The speechless child stumbled back to his brothers, trying to watch his Sensei work. But the now the small swirls of dust had grown into a big cloud, difficult to see through. As Leonardo stumbled over a pair of legs and sent at least two of his brothers crashing to the ground with him in a tangle, he heard Splinter's chanting begin again.

Michelangelo squirmed to free himself from the tangle of turtle limbs before catching on to Leonardo's wrist in a vice grip. "Leo! What's going on!"

"I'm not sure..." The blue clad turtle replied honestly, his voice barely more than a whisper. His eyes drifted from his father to the churning cloud of dust moving toward them as if it had a mind of it's own.

Its attention had been drawn away from the rat by the presence of the four frightened children. It was slowly moving closer, making a hissing sound as if it were alive...some sort of wild animal. Perhaps it was, for as Splinter's chanting grew louder, the cloud seemed to become thicker, and close in on the startled turtles.

Leonardo felt something from it. Malice. Whatever inhabited that cloud of dust wanted to hurt them. All of them. _It would have been wise for one like you to stay away…_ A voice came from the angry cloud, completely clear even though it was accompanied by the loud wind. Each word was painfully tearing into the young mutant's mind. He let out a short cry and doubled over, gritting his teeth as he covered his ears.

"Leo!" Splinter was drawn out of his ceremony again hearing a chorus of frightened shouts from Raphael, Michelangelo, and Donatello. The rat's eyes widened as he caught sight of his eldest son on his knees, and though surrounded by his brothers, in pain. He had to act now, before this creature could do any further damage. He quickly murmured the last several words to his ritual, and from there let the ofuda fly.

The slip of paper suddenly gave off a bright glow as it came into contact with the door Splinter remained in front of. The light from the ofuda filled the room for a moment. The wind stopped, and the cloud of dust settled back to the ground in that same instant. Splinter took a few steps back, sniffing the air cautiously. Once he was certain the threat was gone, he hurried to his sons.

"S-Sensei..." Raphael stammered over his words, green eyes rising to Splinter's gray face as he stepped back to give the rat room to examine Leonardo. "Wh...what was...wha...?"

Much to the old rat's relief, Leonardo seemed fine, merely shaken by his strange encounter. His pale orange eyes met Splinter's as his father scooped him up. "Master Splinter…what _was _that thing?"

"Akuma…" Splinter replied quietly, looking over his remaining sons. Michelangelo, teary eyed and shaking was clinging to the rat's brown robe. Even Donatello was upset by the event. But the brainy turtle had seen something that nothing he'd ever learned could explain. He seemed to be thinking that, golden eyes fixed on the resealed door, though he clung to Raphael's arm. The red clad turtle was silent as well, his gaze drifting from Leonardo to Splinter.

Leonardo shifted in his father's gentle grasp so he could get a look at the door. "Akuma? What's an akuma…?"

Splinter's fur bristled slightly. "A demon…" He said, his voice low. He didn't want to go on further and scare his sons more, so at that point the old rat changed the subject. "But it is gone. And that is all you, my sons, need to know." Now that he knew his sons were all right, it was less of a burden to scold them. "I told you all to stay at home!" His tone changed to a stern one. "I did not want you anywhere near this place. You do not know what could have happened to all of you!" His gaze drifted over the four youths again. They were all silent, staring at him with wide eyes.

"Sensei..." Leonardo tried to speak for the four of them. He had fully intended to tell their father about Raphael talking Donatello and Michelangelo into leaving the lair at night, but now, the thought of tattling was gone. "I...we..." He couldn't finish, and bowed his head in an apology, unable to do much else in Splinter's arms.

The gray rat allowed expression to soften. He gave the sealed door one more glance as the glowing of the ofuda died down. There would be no more danger now. "Come, my sons." Splinter spoke gently. "Let us go home."

-------

None of the turtles had spoken a word of it since they returned to the lair lead by their master. Since then Splinter had put his sons through long training sessions as punishment, and had forbid all of them from leaving the lair for a month. Needless to say, the four young turtles had grown bored, but for now they remained quiet. Not even Raphael had made an attempt to leave the safety of their home since the terrifying incident.

"So what...do you think it was...?" Leonardo's question broke the silence on the subject of just what they had seen two days prior. The eldest turtle hadn't stopped thinking about this Akuma however, even though he watched Splinter seal it away. It had given him a lot to think about. Was it really gone? What if there were more? What if Splinter hadn't been there to save them…?

Michelangelo frowned, raising his eyes from his Game Guy. "It doesn't matter, right? I—it's gone...isn't it?"

"You betcher shell it's gone..." Raphael spoke out, seated next to Michelangelo on the couch. "Sensei took care'a that thing but good!"

Leonardo nodded from where he sat in Splinter's favorite chair, paying little attention to the book opened in front of him. "But we all could've been hurt...or worse, if Master Splinter hadn't been there."

"Yeah, but he _was _there." Raphael nodded.

Leonardo's brow furrowed in frustration. "This time, yes. But what if he hadn't been? None of us would have known what to do."

Raphael and Michelangelo exchanged glances, then simultaneously pointed to the purple clad turtle across the room. "Donnie would," They both spoke at once.

Donatello glanced up from the invention he was working on. "What makes you guys think I'd have a _clue _of how to deal with a monster like that?"

Raphael blinked. "What...? You believe in that sorta stuff now?"

"We all saw it, right?" Donatello's attention returned to his work, not looking to see each of his brothers nod in turn. "Well, seeing made a believer outta me."

Michelangelo frowned, setting his Game Guy on the couch's armrest. "Do you think maybe...there are more 'akuma'?"

Donatello shrugged. "Maybe...but with Sensei's magic paper, I think we'll be okay."

"Ofuda." Leonardo sighed. He looked at each of his brothers with a small frown and pushed to his feet. "I'm going to talk to Master Splinter." He said with a brief wave as he left the room.

Michelangelo blinked, glancing between Raphael and Donatello. "Did...we do something bad?"

Raphael frowned and narrowed his eyes a little. He hopped from the couch and made his way to the chair Leonardo had been sitting in. He lifted the book, and turned to show it to his two brothers. "Leo's worryin' too much." The red clad turtle sighed. The book was on Japanese mythology, with a page on Akuma left open.

-------

Leonardo slipped quietly into his Sensei's quarters, not wanting to disturb him if he was meditating. But it was the old rat who startled him.

"Leonardo?" His voice spoke gently as he studied the blue clad turtle from his mat against the wall. "My son, is something troubling you?"

Turning, the child gave Splinter a respectful bow before he spoke. "Sensei...I...I wanted to know more about that akuma you sealed."

"Do not let that trouble you, my son." The rat replied. "It was evil...and now, it is gone."

"I know..." Leonardo replied with an agreeing nod. "But...what if there are more? What if the others get into trouble with something like that? I mean, Raph and Mikey always try to explore old rundown places...and Donnie--"

Splinter stood and walked to his eldest son, resting a hand on his shoulder. "Leonardo, your concern is touching, expected of an older brother, but you no longer need to worry about such things. The ofuda makes a strong seal. It will not break. Akuma and demons cannot break it."

Leonardo sighed, shoulders drooping a little. He was silent, studying the ground for a few moments. Once he raised his eyes back to his master, he had a determined expression. "Sensei, teach me how to use the ofuda like you did."

The old rat blinked in surprise, speechless for the moment.

"Just in case," Leonardo explained. He had complete faith in his Sensei's words, but he kept repeating 'just in case' in his mind. "I don't want the others to be in any sort of trouble like that again. And...besides, I want to learn." He raised his eyes back to Splinter with a childish smile.

He was silent for a few moments before smiling faintly down at his son. "If you are willing, Leonardo, I will teach you. It takes a good deal of willpower and training to master, however."

Leonardo grinned. "I'm ready for it!"

Splinter returned his son's smile. "Very well. We will begin in the morning, though this will mean extra lessons for you."

The blue clad turtle only nodded eagerly, and Splinter had expected that. With that decided, the young turtle scampered off, and a moment later could be heard breaking up an argument between Raphael and Michelangelo.

-------

A single light illuminated the sewer path that night. All was quiet save for slowly moving water, and a set of light footsteps. The small green hand clutched the flashlight for all it was worth as its owner walked quickly. Leonardo had snuck out as soon as his brothers and master were asleep. Though he scolded his brothers often for doing the same thing, the blue clad turtle was an expert at sneaking out, and avoiding even Splinter's eye.

His thoughts about the Akuma nagged him still, and that was where Leonardo was headed. The small spot of light easily lead him to the closed off area, and sealed door. He inched toward it, the light finding and holding steady on Splinter's ofuda. The enchanted paper seemed to even be giving off a little light of it's own. Leonardo reached forward to touch it, but held himself back. He didn't know what would happen if he were to interfere with whatever spell Splinter had used.

Finally the turtle stepped back and examined the door for a moment.

It was quiet.

Content, Leonardo turned, and started back to the lair. He hardly noticed the faint cool breeze that whispered around him as he walked.

_-- Stay away…--_

**-- To Be Continued --**

_Too many unanswered questions? Fear not, Chapter One will jump ahead to the fifteen year old turtles rediscovering an old, forgotten memory, and reveal a secret or two about the Magdalene Order; An organization that may know something about the demon sealed in the sewer…_

_By mortal means, the seal is not going to last much longer._


End file.
